Printing machine



Sept. 22, 1931. w. K. ECKHARD PRINTING MACHINE Filed July 11. 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 JKQQMM W Sept 22, 1931. w. K. ECKHARD PRINTING MACHINEFiled July 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a W .w 0 r T A N X W 1 E wfl V A m2:3 P 1? 3 m 1 a Q Q l lmlllmmu m MWII WI IINQ 1 1.

Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VTELLIAM K.ECKHAIRD, OF DUNELLEN, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO It. HOE &, (10., INC.,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A COB-YORATION OF NEW YORK 1 PRINTING MACHINEApplication filed July 11,

that is moved back and forth under an inking mechanism and an impressionmember, whereby the plate is inked and the design then imprinted on asheet. It is particularly applicable to presses usedin printing fromengraved or other printing plates in which the design is in intaglio,and which are first inked and then wiped to remove the ink from the highportions of the plate.

The especial object of the invention is to provide a mechanism that willoperate the bed carrying the plate so that the latter will be acted uponsuccessively by inking, wiping and impression members, only in theproper sequence and without tripping, or otherwise moving the inking orwiping mechanisms from their operating positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bed operating mechanismthat will move and guide the bed forward on one plane and backward onanother plane. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple mechanism forguiding the bed and supporting the chain by means of which it is driven.

It is also an object of the invention. to provide a bed operatingmechanism of generally improved construction, whereby the mechanism willbe simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as practicaland efficient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that various changes in theprecise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made withinthe scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a printing press embodying theinvention and showing the bed in the position it occupies just before itis moved forward to print a sheet; 7

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the bed in the position it occupiesjust after the sheet 1929. Serial No. 377,570.

has been printed and is being carried toward the delivery end of themachine;

F gure 3 is a fragmentary view partly. in section, showing a'portion ofthe bed and its guiding and operating mechanism as viewed Figure 5 is afragmentary view partly in section, showing the mechanism for raisingand lowermg the tracks along which the bed is moved, as viewed on theline 55 of Fig-- ure 2.

Referring to the drawings, 11 and 11 indicate side frames of the machineto which various elements are suitably attached. An inking mechanlsmincludes an 111k fountain 12, fountain roller 13, inking roller 14, and

rolling-in rollers 15, rotatably supported in bearings attached to theframes 11 and 11, andpositioned to engage the plate as it passes ingderthe inking mechanism from right to An oscillating wiping mechanism wellknown inthe art is indicated at 16 and 16' and serves to wipe the excessink from the surface of the plate after it has been inked.

Impression cylinders 17 and 17 are supported to rotate in bearings inthe frame 11 and 11', and in brackets 18 and18, secured to a crossmember 19 of the frame, and in position to engage'with the under side ofthe moving bed 20, to which the printing plate 20 is secured.

A blanket cylinder 21, is rotatably supported in bearings that may bearranged in any well known manner to give a limited vertical movement tothe cylinder so that its periphery is periodically raised to the dottedline 21', in order that the bed may pass under the cylinder 21 onitsnon-printing stroke without causing the cylinder to engage the plate,this action being known as tripping the impression. I a

A feeding table 22, provides a support to hold a supply of sheets to befed to the ma,-

chine, and has an inclined feed board 23,

on which the operator places the sheets, one

at a time, when they are to be printed. Registering stops, one of whichis shown at 24, provide means for properly positioning the sheet on thefeed board so that it will be printed in proper register.

The mechanism for controlling the motion of the bed 20, which is thenovel feature claimed herein includes rails on which the bed slidesforward and back in a path or track lengthwlse of the machine means forraising and lowering the rails so that the bed may be moved on a higherplane for the plate to engage the inking and wiping mechanism, and on alower plane for it to pass without enga ing them when it carries asheet; a chain driven by sprockets which rotate in but one direction butwhich is connected to the bed by a mechanism that produces a forward andreverse motion; and a guide which keeps the bed in its proer path andfurnishes a s pport ior'the rl riving chain.

The rails 25 and '25, are held in place by brackets 26 and 26, securedto the "side name 11 and 11, but are free to move endwise in thebrackets. at 27, are ivotally connected to the rails as shown at 28.This mechanism is duplicated on the other side of the machine, but it isnecessary to describe but one.

The opposite end of the link 27, is pivoted at 29, to a lever 31, whichis secured to the shaft 32, which turns in hearings in the side frame 11and 11'.

A link 33, ivoted at 34 and 35, serv s to connect the lever 31 with bellcrank lever 36, which is pivoted on a stud 37 and carries a roller 38,which engages a cam 39-, secured to the shaft 41, which is geared to runin proper timed relation with other elements of the machine. v

A rod 42, is pivoted at 48, on the lever 31, and passes through a post44, secured to the frame. A sprin 45, is secured to the rod and pressesagainst the pest serving to hold the roller ineu agement with the cam39.

Rollers 46 are carried on studs secured to the side frame and serve tosupport the rails 25 and 25. Portions of the rails are cut away as shownat 40 for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

When the cam 39 is in theposition shown in Figure l, the rails are movedtoward the left hand or feeding end of the machine and parts which havenot been cut away rest on the rollers 46, but when the cam 39 is in theposition shown in Figure 2, the rails are moved toward the delivery endof the machine and as the cut away parts rest on the rollers the railsare depressed. It will readily be understood that this means for raisingand lowering the rails enables the plate to pe moved in one direction incontact with the inking and wiping mechanism and in the other directionout of contact with them.

Links, oneof which is shown The bed 18 is moved forward and backwardalong the tracks by means of a chain 47, which passes around sprockets4:8 and 49, and is held in alignment by the guide plates 51 and 52,suitably secured by brackets 53 to the cross members forming part of theframe.

A driving fork 54, having longitudinal and transverse slots is securedto the under side of the bed'and hasits longitudinal slot 55 fitted toslide along the guide 51, which thus keepsthe bed in the proper path.

Rollers 56 turning on studs in the chain engage with the side of thetransverse slot 57 in the driving fork. The portion of the fork whichengages one side of the guide plate 51 is ne essarily cut away in orderthat it may pass the brackets 53, but the other side is extendeddownward so that it will engage the rollers 56 when they are on the lowside of thechain. From the above it wil-lbe seen that when the sprocketsare driven the rollersattached to the chain will move forward andbackward lengthwise of the machine and carry the bed with them.

In operation, and tarting with the parts in the osition shown in Figure1, a sheet 58 is placed on the feed board with its rear edge against thestops 24. The bed carrying the plate which has previously been inked ismoved toward the right and the sheet is caught between the plate 20 andthe impression roller 21, which is then in the low position.

Immediately after the bed passes the impressio'n roller the cam 39operates to move the rails to the osition shown in Figure 2, and theplate with the printed sheet adhering to it is carried to the right handor delivery end of the machine where it is removed by an operator.

Before the bed starts in the opposite direction, the cam operates toraise the rails and the plate then passes into contact with the inkingand wiping mechanism. The impression Cylinder 21 will then be raised andthe plate will pass under and without touching it to reach the positionshown in Figure 1, after which the cycle may be rept-zated.

What I claim is:

1. In a plate printing machine, a plate movable successively underinking and impression members, and means for moving the plate on araised pathway to engage with the inkin mechanism, and on a lowerpathway to avoid it.

2. In a plate printing machine, a bed movable on a track and arranged tosupport a printing plate, a guide for the bed, an inki'ng mechanism, andmeans for raising the tracks to engage the plate with the inkingmechanism.

3. In a plate printing machine, an inking mechanism, an impressionmember, a printing plate, a bed to support the plate,a track along whichthe bed is moved to engage the plate with the inking mechanism and theimpression member, and means for lowering the track so that the platemay pass under the inking mechanism without engagement therewith.

4. In a plate printing machine, an inking mechanism. a bed movable onrails and having a printing plate secured thereto, a chain for movingthe bed under the inking mechanism and in engagement therewith, asprocket normally rotating in one direction for driving the chain andmeans for lowering the rails to permit moving the plate under the inkingmechanism but out of engagement therewith.

5. In a plate printing machine, a bed, a track, a chain for moving thebed forward and back on the track, a guide for the bed and the chain,and means for raising and lowering the track.

6. In a plate printing machine, a bed, a

track, a chain for moving the bed forward and back on the track, meansfor raising and lowering the track, and means effective in both theraised and lowered positions of the track for guiding the bed in itspath and holding the chain in operating alignment.

7. In a plate printing machine, a bed, a track, means for raising andlowering the track, a chain running over sprockets and adapted to movethe bed forward and back along the track when the track is in either theraised or lowered position, and a means effective when the track israised and also when it is lowered, to guide the bed in its path andhold the chain in operating alignment. 1

8. In a plate printing machine, a bed, a longitudinally movable track, achain for moving the bed forward and backward on the track, and meansfor raising the track when it is moved longitudinally in one directionand lowering it when it is moved in the reverse direction.

9. In a plate printing machine, a bed, a longitudinally movable track, achain for moving the bed forward and backward on the track, means toguide the bed and the chain, and means for raising the track when it ismoved longitudinally in one direction and lowering it when it is movedin the reverse direction.

10. In a plate printing machine, an inkingmechanism, a bed movableforward and backward on a longitudinally movable track, means forholding a plate on the bed, and means for raising the track when it ismoved longitudinally in one direction and lowering it when it is movedlongitudinally in the opposite direction, whereby the plate will engagethe inking mechanism when the track is raised and avoid the inkingmechanism when the track is lowered.

11. In a plate printing machine, a bed adapted to support a plate andmovable forward and backward under inking and 1mpression memberssuccessively, means including a chain for moving the bed on a raisedpathway to engage the plate with the inking mechanism and on a lowerpathway to avoid engagement with it, and a sprocket rotating in but onedirection for drivlng the chain.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM K. ECKHARD.

